Essential SF Burger Destination Rove Kitchen Has Closed “Indefinitely”

Lower Nob Hill’s Rove Kitchen, a small but mighty restaurant known in particular for its burger and fried chicken sandwich, has “closed indefinitely.” Chef/owner Ryan Yema wrote the news on Instagram, and Eater SF has reached out for details.

For now, Yema’s fans will have to learn to live without his ground short rib patty with aged cheddar, arugula, and onion jam on a homemade bun. Rove’s last night in business was apparently January 24, when that item was just $10.

At the news, longtime rove followers are likely to experience deja vu: The restaurant has closed once before, just six months after it opened, in 2015. A massive rent hike threatened to shutter Rove at the time, and Yema was prepared to move, vowing that he would return elsewhere “with fried chicken for all.” That apparently wasn’t necessarily, and he and his landlord came to an agreement that allowed him to stay.

It’s unclear if a similar dispute is to blame this time around. And perhaps, as before, there’s hope — so stay tuned.